Gate-latch.



PATENTED MAR. '7, 1905.

J. J. AKRE.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED swims. 1904.

NTTED STATES Patented March 7, 1905. A

JOI-IN J. AKRE, OF BEE, MINNESOTA.

GATE-LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,510, dated March '7, 1905.

Application filed September 26, 1904:. Serial No. 2251979- To all whom, t may cm1/067%:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. Arran, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bee, in the county of Houston and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, anda exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to latches which while especially desirable and efficient for use upon gates of all varieties will also be useful for doors, swinging windows, and other situations where a reliable lock is required; and my invention consists of certain novel features of combination and construction of parts, the preferred form whereof will be hereinafter clearly set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

The prime object of my invention, among others, is to provide a latch which while easily operated to unlock itw ill guard against the gato, door, or the like from being casually opened.

A further object of my invention is to so construct -my improved gate and door 4latch that the parts thereof may bevery cheaply and yexpeditiously manufactured and each readily assembled in its respective operative position, the entire latch being produced at a comparatively small cost,

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter' made clearly apparent, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which are made a part of this application, and in which- Figure l shows a perspective view of an ordinary farm-gate provided with my combined latch and lock secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing an elevation of the outer face of my lock and also showing the position occupied by the catch, which latter is carried by the gate or door. Fig. 3 is a similar view to that presented in Fig. 2, eX- cepting that the latch is disposed in an opened position. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 as taken on line 4 4. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 as taken on line 5 5. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view showing a slightlyl ing.

parts of the latch proper.

modified construction. tive detail view of my improved latch shown in Fig. 6 and removed from the gate. Fig. S is a sectional view of a gate-post and a contiguous part of the gate and showing a top plan view of my improved latch shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of Fig. 8 on line 9 9. Figs. l0 and l l show slightly-modified constructions which may be adopted in manufacturing my lock.

For convenience of reference to the various details and cooperating accessories of my invention numerals will be employed, the same numeral applying to a similar part throughout the several views, and, referring to thel numerals on the drawings, 1 designates the gate-post of the usual or any preferred construction, and to the gate-post I attach my latch, while to the gate I attach the keeper which is designed to cooperate with the latch, it being common with other forms of latches with which I am familiar that the latch is carried by the gate, while the cooperating keeper is carried by the post. By securing my latch upon the fence-post with which the free end of the gate cooperates I am enabled to lighten the weight of the gateto that extent, and thus protect the hinges from undue strain.

Illy latch comprises a housing or plate 2, which is designed to be secured to the gatepost in any preferred way, as by suitable screws 3 or the equivalent thereof. The housing also comprises the outwardly-directed lip or iange 4, intended to protect the ing 2, with its guard or lip 4, may be readily fashioned from a single piece of suitable sheet metal, as will be obvious. The extension 5 is held rigidly separated a proper distance from the body portion or plate 2 by suitable posts 6, and upon the outer ends of said posts I pivotally attach the latches 7, the outer ends being preferably bent at right angles to form the weighted terminals or branches 8, said branches lying above the ends of the operating-lever 9, said lever being pivotally connected at its middle portion to the outer end of the post 10, which latter also serves to rigidly separate the plates 2 and 5 of the hous- The outer ends of the latches 7 being The entire hous- Fig. 7 1s a perspecheavier will insure that their inner ends will be normally held elevated slightly above the upper edge of the plate 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, a recess thus being provided between the approximated ends of the latches 7 to receive thev angular extension 11 of the kee erbar 12, which latter is carried by the en of the gate 13, the keeper-bar being adjustably secured to the gate by the bolts 14 passing through the slotted openings 15, as will be clearly observed by reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

In some instances it may be desirable to reinforce the pivot points or posts 6, in which case I provide the connecting-bar 17, (illustrated in Fig. 10,) thus placing any strain caused by the extension 11 bearing upon the ends of the latches 7 to be sustained by both of the pivot points or members 6, as will be clearly obvious.

If it should be found that the latches 7 Will not operate with suflicient rapidity when dependence is alone had upon gravity due to the weighted ends or terminals 8, then a simple form of spring 18 maybe secured in proper position, as upon the post or rivet-head 19, whereby the en ds of the spring, consisting in this instance of a single piece of'spring-wire, will be disposed in engagement with the latches 7, as by passing -through an aperture in the extension 8. (Clearly shown in Fig. 11.) By use of the spring a very rapid and reliable action of the latches 7 will be insured, though it is thought for all ordinary purposes dependence may be had wholly upon the weighted outer ends of said latches, as shown in Fig. 2 and other views.

The keeper-bar 12 being adjustable upon the end of the gate may be readily changed in position to compensate for sagging of the gate or the like.

In Figs. 6 and 7 it will be observed that my latch may be readily adapted for use upon other forms of gate than that presented in Fig. 1 or may beused upon a door, window, or the like and may be opened or operated from both sides thereof. I have also illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and S that my latch may be controlled or operated by the foot-lever 20, placed in connection with one end of the controlling-bar 9, as by the link or rod 21, said foot-lever being pivotally attached to the lower part of the gate-post, whereby both ends thereof will be accessible.

By reference to Fig. 3 it will be observed that one end of the controlling-bar 9 has been elevated and that one of the latches 7 has been correspondingly raised at its outer end and depressed at .its inner end, said inner end being moved down flush with or slightly below the upper edge of the plate 5 or suflioiently out of the way of the eXtension 11 to permit the gate to which the keeper-bar 12 is attached to be moved into an open position.

If desired, the gate may be so hinged that it may be opened in both directions, though the ordinary form of hinges opening in but one direction will be found all that is required in coperation with my improved latch, it being obvious that my latch may be readily operated from either side of the gate.

My improved gate and door latch will be found very strong and durable and may be quickly controlled by depressinCT or elevating one'end of the controlling-lever 9, ac-

cording to the direction it may be desired the gate shall open, and while I have described the preferred combination and construction of parts deemed necessary in' carrying out my invention I wish to comprehend in this application all substantial equivalents and substitutes that may be considered as falling fairly within the scope and purview of my invention.

I-Iaving thusfully described my improved gate-latch, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

TheV hereindescribed combination-latch comprising asuitable casing, a pair of latches carried by said casing and normally disposed so that their inner ends will be elevated 5 a controlling-bar having its ends protruding from opposite sides of the casing and placed in coperation with said latches, whereby when the controlling-bar is raised or lowered the latches will be correspondingly moved, in combination with an adjustable keepery plate 12 having an extension 11, said keeper-- scribing witnesses.

JOHN J. AKRE. I/Vitnesses:

CHAs. I-IOEGH, ARTHUR GLASRUD.

TOO

IOS 

